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Chapter 9
Perhaps sensing my intense stare, Ludwig pulled up his collar and hid the mark.
Ah, I must have been staring too much.
When I saw the faint smile on Ludwig’s face, my heart suddenly fluttered slightly.
What’s wrong with me?
Maybe my body hadn’t fully recovered yet.
At that moment, the door opened and Argen entered.
“Young Lord, Sierra is—”
He spotted me sitting up and immediately rushed over.
“You’re awake! Sierra, are you feeling alright?”
Argen asked worriedly.
The corners of his eyes looked slightly red.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve completely recovered, so don’t worry.”
Only then did the tension leave his face.
“More importantly, what’s happening at the banquet hall?”
Thinking back on what had happened, the entire place must have been thrown into chaos.
“Well…”
Argen hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“Lady Nella has been identified as the person who put the Dragers tea there.”
“…What?”
***
“Please! Just tell me if Miss is alright! At least tell me that!”
Nella’s desperate voice echoed through the hall.
“Our Miss is safe, isn’t she? She is, right?!”
“It seems you still don’t understand the situation, Lady Nella.”
Physician Cesar frowned.
“You have been named as the prime suspect in the attempt to harm Lady Sierra.”
“What nonsense is that?! Why would I ever do such a thing to the young lady I’ve served my entire life?!”
“After everything you’ve heard, that’s your response?”
Cesar adjusted his glasses.
“This is beyond frustrating.”
She was so simple-minded that questioning her was difficult.
Even now, when her own life might be at risk, all she cared about was Sierra.
Feeling that the conversation would go nowhere otherwise, he finally told her the truth.
“Fortunately, the Young Lord of Carsian was present. Lady Sierra narrowly survived and has almost fully recovered.”
“Th-Thank goodness… Thank goodness… Sob… Thank you, God…”
The strength left Nella’s body and she nearly collapsed to the floor.
Watching her, Cesar pushed up his glasses again.
“Now then, explain this. Lady Nella, you knew Lady Sierra had no immunity to Dragers, yet you served her that tea. You even used a medicine that concealed its scent so she wouldn’t notice. Isn’t that correct?”
Nella looked completely wronged.
“Wh-What are you talking about?!”
“I’ve already explained. A scent-concealing medicine was found in your room. We also have testimony from maids who saw you prepare the tea yourself. Every piece of evidence points to you.”
“A nanny trying to kill her own mistress…”
“How horrifying.”
“Perhaps there was some conflict between them?”
People clicked their tongues and whispered.
It was true that Nella had personally prepared the tea.
But she had brewed it using Hiaren flowers, Sierra’s favorite.
She had never touched Dragers.
Yet as Cesar said, the poisoned tea had undeniably come from the cup she delivered.
“That can’t… be…”
From beginning to end, the tea had passed through Nella’s hands.
She always inspected everything before it was given to Sierra.
Hiaren flowers looked somewhat similar to Dragers blossoms.
Had she somehow confused them?
Nella’s thoughts were in complete chaos.
And what was this scent-concealing medicine they were talking about?
She had never even heard of such a thing.
Two maids held her by the arms to prevent her from escaping.
It was as though she had already been declared guilty.
Someone had trapped her.
A dangerous scheme.
One that could have killed Sierra.
But who?
“Your Grace, I believe it would be best to continue the interrogation in prison.”
At Cesar’s words, Tergon, who had been silently watching everything, narrowed his aged eyes.
When he first saw Sierra collapse from the poison, it felt as though time had stopped.
How had he felt when he saw that tiny child on the brink of death?
If the culprit was found, he intended to make them pay.
He would make them suffer far more than Sierra had suffered.
It had been a long time since he had felt such uncontrollable rage.
And even now, his thoughts had not changed.
However, from what he knew, this woman was Sierra’s nanny.
The person Sierra trusted almost like a mother.
Was she truly the culprit?
The fact that all the evidence seemed so obvious bothered him.
If it was true, Sierra would never be able to trust anyone again.
If the child experienced betrayal from the person she cherished most…
Tergon’s brows furrowed.
“Your Grace…?”
When his silence dragged on, Cesar called out to him again.
At that moment, a hurried voice rang out.
“Nella isn’t the culprit!”
Everyone turned around.
Sierra stood there, breathing heavily.
***
I thought about it the entire way here.
[They found a medicine that hides the scent of Dragers in Lady Nella’s room.]
If what Argen said was true, then it made sense that I hadn’t noticed the smell.
Even with all the evidence, I couldn’t bring myself to suspect Nella.
She was someone I trusted without conditions.
When I was very young, Father had lost his way.
He didn’t come to see me.
He didn’t ask how I was doing.
It was almost as if he had forgotten I existed.
Back then, I hated him for it.
Looking back now, he had lost the wife he loved more than his own life only a few years earlier.
During that time, Nella was always by my side.
She cared for me in place of my mother.
In place of my father.
Because of her, I learned how to smile again.
Because of her, I found the courage to approach Father first.
It was all thanks to Nella.
So how could I possibly suspect her?
After everything she had done for me.
As I hurried along, I passed the tea room where Nella usually prepared tea.
Then I caught a faint scent.
Dragers.
I stopped walking abruptly.
Ludwig and Argen immediately stopped as well.
“What’s wrong, Sierra?”
“That…”
***
I hurried toward the outdoor venue where the incident had occurred.
The moment I saw Nella being questioned with both arms restrained, I shouted:
“Nella isn’t the culprit!”
Everyone’s attention immediately turned toward me.
Nella.
Cesar.
Father.
And Grandfather.
The other guests were still present as well.
While I had been unconscious, the incident had clearly grown into a massive commotion.
Even many servants remained there to provide testimony.
After all, the granddaughter of Tergon Drenihan had nearly died.
If the matter wasn’t resolved here, even the Imperial Investigation Corps would likely become involved.
“Sierra! Are you feeling alright?”
Father rushed over and carefully checked my condition.
His fingertips were still trembling.
He clearly hadn’t recovered from the shock.
“Shouldn’t you still be resting?”
“I feel completely fine now.”
Relief flashed through his pink eyes, so much like my own.
“More importantly…”
I looked around sharply.
Nella was sitting on the ground, tied up.
My expression hardened.
“Release Nella immediately.”
“We cannot do that, Miss.”
Cesar answered at once.
“I understand how close you and Lady Nella are. However, she has been identified as the primary suspect.”
“A suspect?”
“She personally brought you the tea. She also used medicine to conceal the scent so you wouldn’t notice.”
“A scent-concealing medicine…”
“Yes, exactly.”
Then he spoke gently, as if calming a child.
“More importantly, you still need more time to recover. Even if you feel fine, your condition remains dangerous. Please listen to me as your physician.”
Seeing him suddenly pretend to be concerned almost made me laugh.
“Thank you for your concern, Physician Cesar. But I don’t intend to drag this out.”
I smiled brightly.
“I’ve already figured out who the culprit is.”
For a brief moment, surprise flashed across Cesar’s face.
“What? Miss, what do you mean by that—”
Before he could finish, I glanced toward Argen.
He immediately stepped forward carrying something covered with a white cloth.
“That is…”
It was a tray filled with teacups from the tea room.
I picked up one of them and used my water ability to fill the empty cup.
Immediately, the previously clear water began turning reddish.
“…?!”
“There’s no scent right now, but after some time, the smell of Dragers will appear.”
I looked at Argen.
“Argen, bring the other cup.”
He handed me another teacup.
Turning it upside down, I showed everyone the bottom.
A small amount of white powder scattered into the air.
“This is powdered Dragers root, which is used as a medicinal ingredient. It was sprinkled inside the teacups in the tea room.”
The amount was so small that most people would never notice it.
“It was sprinkled into every cup. Since the culprit didn’t know which cup Nella would use, they contaminated all of them.”
Because of that, evidence had remained in the unused cups.
“If Nella were truly the culprit, would she have needed to sprinkle powder into every cup and leave evidence behind?”
Earlier, while passing the tea room, I had smelled Dragers.
Inside was a cup of Dragers tea that looked as though someone had already been drinking it.
Nella had always been careful about everything I consumed.
She checked whether ingredients might harm me.
She made sure nothing strange had been mixed in.
Even with tea, she always brewed a separate cup for herself and tasted it first before serving mine.
She had probably done the same thing this time.
[What is this…?]
That was when I noticed something strange in another teacup.
There were tiny traces of white powder stuck to the bottom.
Only a very small amount.
So little that an ordinary person would never notice it.
I brushed some onto my finger and smelled it.
A sweet scent.
Where had I smelled this before?
It felt familiar.
Common, yet somehow unforgettable.
